A casual glance at any garden center should make it clear
that many Georgians are busy
planting in their landscapes now. But many unknowningly give
their new shrubs little
chance to survive, said a University of Georgia expert.
Gary Wade, an
horticulturist with the UGA
Environmental Sciences,
said four simple steps can greatly enhance the success of
landscape planting efforts.
“The four most important steps in planting shrubs,” Wade
said, “are
digging the right size hole, planting the shrub at the right
depth, mulching and
watering.”
The right size hole, he said, is simply a good bit wider
than the plant’s root system.
“If you dig the hole too deep, backfill with soil and
tamp it to prevent
settling,” he said. “The top of the root ball should be
level with the soil
surface.”
Don’t mix organic matter in the planting-hole soil. Wade
said research shows that soil
amendments in a planting hole don’t help. They can even
hurt, by discouraging roots from
venturing into the surrounding native soil.
If a shrub is planted too deep, its deep roots die, Wade
said. The plant will try to
develop a shallower root system. But its early setback will
likely keep it from growing
into a vigorous, hardy plant. And it may not survive the
first harsh, stressing weather
that comes along.
A point to remember, Wade said, is to plant the shrub
with its upper roots at ground
level.
“You want to put very little soil – hardly any soil at
all – on top of
the roots,” he said. “Pull the soil to the sides, rather
than on top of the
roots. Then cover it with a good mulch. Research shows
mulching to have great value to the
plant’s survival and growth.”
Mulching prevents severe moisture fluctuations around the
roots, he said. It keeps the
soil and roots cooler in stressful Georgia summers, too. It
keeps down competition from
weeds and grasses and helps keep certain soil-borne diseases
off the leaves.
The fourth factor in successful planting, Wade said, is
water.
“Water the plant thoroughly in the container before you
plant it,” he said.
“It’s hard to rewet a dry root ball once it’s in the ground.
Also, watering after
planting helps settle the soil and eliminate air pockets
that can dry out the roots.”
Don’t put fertilizer in the planting hole, he said. Wait
four to six weeks. Then put a
light application of 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 fertilizer on the
soil surface around the
perimeter of the planting hole.
Those four steps – digging an oversized hole, planting at
the proper depth,
mulching and watering – can help give new shrubs a good
start to a healthy, vigorous
life, Wade said.
